Navigation systems assist users in locating objects. For instance, navigation systems are used in industrial, aerospace, and medical applications. In the medical field, navigation systems assist surgeons in locating surgical instruments and anatomy for the purpose of accurately placing the surgical instruments relative to the anatomy.
Navigation systems may employ light signals, sound waves, magnetic fields, radio frequency signals, etc. in order to track the position and/or orientation of objects. Often the navigation system includes tracking devices attached to the objects being tracked. A localizer cooperates with tracking elements on the tracking devices to determine positions of the tracking elements, and ultimately to determine a position and orientation of the objects. The navigation system monitors movement of the objects via the tracking devices. Often, there is a need for the tracking devices to be releasably attached to the objects. However, when the tracking device is removed from the object and then reattached, its positional relationship with respect to the object usually changes, requiring recalibration or re-registration of the tracking device to the object.
As a result, there is a need in the art for tracking devices that overcome one or more of the problems mentioned above.